Electrolytic apparatus.



Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

3 SHEES-SHEET l.

J. COULSON.

ELECIBOLYHC APPARATUS.

APPLlCATiOH FILED JAN. 6, 19H.

. 1. couLsoN.

ELECTHOLYTIC APPARATUS. APPucATmu FILED mi. 6, i911. C Patented 1190.118, I1917. a snEsTs--snznl 2.

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1. COULSON. ELECIROLYHC APPARATUS'.

APPLICATION' FILED MH. 6. 19H.

Pawnwd 1160.181917.

a SHEETSQSHEET a.

4/ mir" lNvENToR ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEErcE.

.TOIEIN COULSON, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS.

` specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 191 '7.

To all uihom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN CoULsoN, a

i subject of the King of Great Britain, and

` container and which and arranged that the active plates, their spacers and supports and all other-attachments immersed in the electrolyte shall be composed of film-forming metal or shall .have exposed surfaces of such metal.'

According to my invention, I provide an electrolytic cell consisting of al series of parallel plates which may be either rectanguiar and vertically disposed or 1n the form of circular trays and whichare composed of aluminum, magnesium or some other film-forming metal. The plates of the same polarity are ri `dly fastened together by means of sets ofv spacers of film-forming metal which'extend freely and without contact through openings provided in the plates of the other polarity.. Each set of spacers constitutes, 1n effect, a continuous rod having all vof the plates of one polarity rigidly attached thereto, and the ends of this composite rod are extended nearly to the'sides of the'container or are otherwise supported in such a manner that no greater degree of movement is permitted than is required for the formation of the asymmetric conducting lms upon the plates. The entire plate structure is preferably suspended from the cover ofthe container, the eiect being that the plates are held against substantial movement in any direction.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view, partiallyin horizontal section, of an electrolytic condenser constructed in accordance with my-invention. Fig. 2 is a side view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale with respect to Figs. 1 and 2, showing the construction of y spacer.

the spacing members employed in my device and their relation to the condenser plates. Fig. 4 is a'vertical central sectional view of another form of electrolytic cell constructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 5 is a plan view, with the cover removed, of the cell shown in Fig. 4.

The condenser shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the .drawings consists of a number, of parallel plates 2 arranged in two sets of opposite polarity, the plates composing the two sets being alternated and spaced apart. The lates are inclosed within a container 3 which may be constructed of wood,'porce lain, enamel-lined metal or any other material which is not. affected by the film-form# ing electrolyte to`be contamed therein, or the entire container may be constructed of alumlnum or other film-forming metal o r may be lined with such metal. As best shown in Fig. 1, the plates are held rigidly in spaced relation by means of six sets of spacers, sets 4 and 5 having the additional function of suspending the entire set of plates from the cover 6 of the container 3 while the remaining sets of spacers 7,' 8, 9

and 10 are extended tovloosely enga e the sides of the container and prevent su stantial movement of the plates. The sets of spacers 7 and 8 are disposed near the upper edges ofthe plates while the sets 9 and 10 are disposed near the lower edges. The spacers` must not be braced too tightly against the sides of the container, since the .i i

films which form on the plates cause thel en# tire structure to expand slightly. In practice, I find that a clearance of about 31g' of an inch between the end spacers andthe container wall is suiiicient for this purpose."

Each set of spacers consists of a series of sections 11 of aluminum rod,.each 4sec-- tion being bored and tapped at one endy and providedl extension 12 of the proper size to be fitted within Vthe tapped opening of the adjacent As stated above, the i-spacers in at the other end with a threaded each set coperate to clamp1 and hold the,

f t e plates composing one o two sets of opposite polarity and are wholly out of contact with the other set of plates, this result being accomplished by providing alined openings in all of the plates, the openings 13 in the alternate plates to be clamped by a given set of spacers being of such size as to fit over the threaded .spacer extensions 12, while the openings 14 in the plates of the other polarity are of sulficiently larger diameter than the spacers 11 to insure that the spacers and such plates will be out of contact when the parts are assembled.

The sets of spacers 7, 8, 9 and 10 are provided with end spacers 15 of the pointed and i 1, half of the end with bored and ianged form shown in Fig. spacers being provided ,tapped openings and the other haltl having I' nal rods 19which are secured to the central portions of the straps in any suitable manner and are provided with reduced portions 2O .which lextend through openings incthe cover 6 and carry binding posts 21 and suits able tightening nutsand washers 22 and 23.

A pipe coil 24 may be suspended from the cover 6 for the purpose of circulating cooling fluid through the interior of thecontainer. The inlet and outlet portions of the coil 24 extend through openings 25 near the side edges of the cover 6, these openings being closed by plates 26 provided with openings to receive the ends of the pipe 24. Connection between the terminals of the pipe 24 and outer Vsupply pipes -may be made through suitable anges 27 which clamp a gasket 28 between them.

In the construction shown in the drawing,

y the tank -3 is lined with aluminum as shown i .of the plates and spacers have been assemat 30, and it is therefore necessary to provide means for insulating the end spacers 15 from one another in order that the plates of 0pposite polarity may not be short-circuited through the walls of the container and through the spacers. For this purpose, I provide a wooden frame atv each side of the tank, such frame comprising horizontal members 31 extending the full length of the tank and .vertical cleats l32 between. which the endspacers 15 are confined. The ends ofthe spacers 15 rest against the horizontal members 31 and are thereby mechanically braced and electrically insulated from one another.

In assembling the condenser which I have shown and described, the several spacer sets and the stack of plates-are simultaneously built up, each plate Abeing Vlaid over the screw-threaded extensions of the spacers which are already in place and additional spacers being added and screwed tightly in place to firmly clamp the plate. I When all bled in this manner, the end spacers 15 and thesus ension straps 18 are attached to the ends o the spacer sets, and the entire plate structure is attached to the cover 6 by means of the terminal rods 19. The condenser 1s completed by lowering the plates into the container 3, with the end spacers 15 inserted into the proper grooves between the cleats 32, a suitable quantity of film-forming electrolyte having previously been placed in the container 3.

It will be observed that, when the parts are assembled in the manner described, the condenser plates are prevented from substantial movement in any direction, since the.

end spacers 15 are confined by the walls of .the container 3v or by the framemembers 31 and are prevented from lateral movement by the cleats 32, while vertical movement of the plates is. prevented by 'the' suspension lstraps 18 and the terminal rods 19. It will also be observed that all of the parts which are associated with the condenser plates and immersed in the electrolyte are composed i wholly of aluminum or 'of such other-ilm forming metal as is employed. '-Ifdesired,

the spacers 11 may be made of steel oi'pther suitable material, provided that -all of the surfaces which are to engage the electrolyte are thoroughly Y coated with aluminum or with some other film-forming metal.

Figs. 4 and 5 show the application of my invention to electrolytic cells of the tray-plate type. The cel-l illustrated therein comprises a series of plates 35 composed of aluminum or other film-forming material inclosed'within a tank v36 and supported upon vertical sets of spacers 37 which are similar in construction to the spacer sets 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the form of device shown in' Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

.As shown, six sets of spacers 37 are employed, and each of the trays 35 is provided with a centrally located frusto-,conical indentation 38 having three symmetrically spaced openings 39 of roper size to receive the screw-threaded,projections of the spacers composing the setsl 37 and similarly spaced' larger openings 40 .of larger diameter than the spacer sets, the arrangement of spacers and plates being similar to that described above in connection with the vertical form of plates. Suitable terminals 41 are secured to any two of the spacer sets 37 which are associated with the plates of opposite polarity.

The structural details which I have shown and described are well suited for embodying the principles of my invention, but it 1s to be understood that this structure may be` variousl modified without departing from the spirit and scope of m invention, and I v v desire,therefore, that no limitations shall be imposed upon my 'invention except such as v are indicated in the appendedclaims:

I clalm as my invention:

1. An electrolytic cell comprising a plu-C' 130 rality of substantially vertical plates of iilm-A -forming metal, -a plurality of multi-part members extending through said plates from side to side and serving to maintain them in alternately connected and vspaced relation.

2. An electrolytic cell comprising two sets of plates of film-forming metal maintained in alternately connected and spaced relation, and spacing members, adapted for screwthreaded engagement with oneanother, for rigidly clamping the plates composing each set of alternate plates, the said spacing members extending through openings in the plates composing the other set.

3. An electrolytic cell comprising two sets of substantially vertical plates of film-forming metal maintained 1n alternately con-I nected and spaced relation, and spacing members in screw-threaded engagement with one another and forming continuous horizontal supports for rigidly clamping the plates compcsin each set of alternate plates.

4. An electro ytic cell comprising a plurality of plates of film-forming metal maintained in alternately connected and spaced relation, and spacing members having screw'- threaded projections and tapped openings, whereby a plurality of the said spacing members are secured together, formin a substantially continuous rod and rigidly clamping the plates lcomposing one set of alternate plates.

metal, multi-part members for rigidly maintaining said plates in spaced relation, means for removably supportlng the said plates in the said container, and means for preventing endwise and'sidewise movement of the said multipart members in the said con-y tainer. v

7. An electrolytic cell comprising a container, a cover therefor, a plurality of plates of film-forming metal secured to the said,

cover, multi-partmembers for rigidly maintaining the said plates in spaced relation, and means associated with the sides of the said container and ooperating with the ends of said multi-part members to prevent movement of the said plates with respect to the container. y

8. An electrolytic cell comprising a container, a cover therefor, a plurality of plates of film-forming metal secured to the said cover, multi-part members for rigidly maintaining the said plates in spaced relation, and a plurality of cleats attached to the sides of the said container and` cooperating with the ends of said multi-part members to prevent movement of the said plates with respect to the container.- A

9. An electrolytic cell comprising a con tainer, a cover therefor, a plurality of platesof film-forming metalsecured to the said cover, spacing members connected together in continuous sets or rods for rigidly clamping the plates in two sets of alternate plates,

rod being in clamping engagement with the plates composing one set and extending through openings in the plates composing the other set, and a plurality of cleats attached to the sides of the said container and coperating with the said sets of spacing members to prevent movement of the said plates with respect to the said container.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th day of Dec.,-

JOHN COULSONLV list sof

so the spacing members composing each set or 

